Paint Yourself a Picture, Something Perfectly Obscure
3
I noticed he’d put Nala on top of an acoustic guitar, I moved the teddy before picking the guitar up and holding it, I let my fingers move on the strings before I plucked the strings beginning to play. I looked up as I heard a noise to see him looking at me “Sorry” I offered and he smiled “It’s okay, you can play guitar too?” he asked and I nodded.
“That’s awesome. So you have fun tonight?” he asked and I nodded “Was it fun onstage?” he asked and I nodded, “So are you from around here?” he asked as he took the guitar and threw it on the couch opposite before sitting back down. “Yeah I live around the corner, you?” I asked, “Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve been back in a year though. I never really get used to being away,” he stated as he picked Nala up.
“It gets easier but you miss people when your away” I replied and he nodded “You travel a lot?” he asked “I’ve been a few places” I admitted. He stood up “Let’s go find the others” he said and I followed him, we walked through the door “Charming” he stated, “They’ve gone out to a bar and left us” he stated and I nodded.
“It’s okay, I guess I should go home anyway” I said and he nodded ”You live nearby so I can walk you” he stated “It’s okay” I replied and he smiled, “No I’ll walk you and then go find Alex and the others, I guess it’s our fault your late anyway and well this part of town was never very…safe” he stated and I smiled.
He opened the door to leave and we walked down the street towards my house and he walked me to the door “Thanks” I stated unsure of exactly what to say and he nodded, he scratched his head “Is Marine down the street and on the next left?” he asked “Yeah” I replied and he smiled.
“Thanks, bye” he said as I opened the door and he walked off, I shut the door behind me and walked into the lounge throwing my cell on the top before hearing a knock at the door. I sighed and walked back to answer it, I opened it to see the tall dark figure of Jack “Did you get lost?” I asked and he scratched at the back of his neck “No but erm, I was wondering seeing as I’ve been away ages and you haven’t, would you fancy going somewhere tomorrow? You know show me around in case things have changed. I don’t want to get lost and well the guys are as useless as me,” he asked looking awkward.
I shrugged ”I guess I can” I admitted and he smiled “You don’t have to if you don’t want” he offered and I shook my head “No it’s okay” I stated and he nodded, “Well I guess I’ll see you 12ish, I’ll come here is that okay?” he asked and I nodded “Okay I guess I’ll see you then” I said and he smiled before turning and walking off.
“Oh Dillon I’ll tell your friend you got home okay” he said turning back to face me and I nodded “Thanks” I said and he smiled before walking off down the street. I walked upstairs to my room checking everything was right before finally allowing myself to go to sleep.
I got up the next day and followed my normal routine and my friends rang to make sure I was okay and I reassured them I was fine. I got ready and there was a knock at the door and I opened it to see the tall dark Jack “Hey” he said smiling and I smiled back “You sure your okay to show me around?” he asked and I nodded as I shut the door.
“Your friend was kind of worried about you last night I think,” he stated and I looked at him confused “Mikey, the guy you were with at the concert” he stated and I nodded remembering “Oh I guess I should’ve text him or something” I said “Well I told him you got home fine but he seemed a bit sceptical” Jack said and I smiled.
“Just being a good friend I guess” he said and I nodded “I only met him last night” I stated and he smiled ”Aww our music is bringing people together, I feel special” he said and I laughed “So what do you do for a living?” he asked and I smiled “Not a lot, it’s complicated” I admitted and he nodded “Sorry” he stated and I smiled “No it’s cool” I said.
“This is a long shot but do you know if DJ’s is still open?” he asked and I nodded “Yeah it is but it’s moved now, want me to show you?” I asked and he nodded smiling and we walked off towards it, I took him to the small shop that you barely noticed unless you were looking for it and we walked in. The shop was darker than most inside and there was the smell of dust in the air that anyone who had visited DJ’s before recognised.
“Well it might have moved but it’s still the same place” Jack stated and I smiled “Did you really think it would change all that much? I mean Arthur hasn’t changed in years,” I said and he started to laugh, “He still wears the same clothes?” Jack asked quietly and I nodded laughing quietly and he started to laugh louder.
“Alex will laugh so hard when I tell him, we always used to come in this place and have bets on whether he’d have that same knitted sweater on, we spent most of our teenage years in this place” he said as he flicked through some old vinyl’s, I heard the familiar sound of Arthur “Still hasn’t got that cough cleared up then” Jack said and I started to laugh.
As the coughing figure of old Arthur appeared at the counter “Can I help?” he said and I turned to face him as Jack looked up “No we’re okay Arthur” I said and he squinted to see across the room without his glasses and then smiled “Dillon, my dear it’s been ages since I saw you how are you?” he asked and I walked over to him leaving Jack.
“I’m good thank you, yourself?” I asked and he nodded ”Good, business is going well surprisingly” he said and I nodded “That’s good, I love your sweater. How’s the wife?” I asked and he smiled ”Thank you my dear and she’s doing well thank you. It’ nice to see you out and about again, we’re so sorry we never came to visit you when you were…” “That’s fine, the flowers and present was more than enough,” I said cutting in.
“Oh it was nothing dear you were after all one of our biggest customers and I missed our chats when you used to come in” he said and I smiled “Well I hope I’m still your biggest customer. I send the girls down often enough,” I said and he nodded ”Yes you do, I think you paid for this new shop” he said and I laughed ”Well you deserve it” I said and he smiled.
“Who’s the boy?” he asked smiling and I smiled back “Jack Barakat Sir” Jack said half making me jump and panicking me over what exactly he’d heard from the previous conversation “Jack Barakat, I’ve heard that name before, you look familiar too” he said and Jack smiled “I used to come in your old shop a bit back when I was a kid, I used to be with another guy” Jack said and Arthur looked at him and then nodded.
“I remember, same height as you, bit longer hair” Arthur said and Jack nodded “Alex yeah that’s him” he replied, “Arthur!” I heard a voice shout and he rolled his eyes “There she goes, I best go see what she wants. It was nice to see you, I hope to see you again soon” he said as he walked off upstairs and we both walked out the shop.
“Has this place changed much?” he asked and I shook my head “Not really, few more bars opened and a few shops closed but nothing major” I admitted and he smiled “New bars?” he asked and I laughed “Want me to show you them?” I asked and he nodded.
We walked down the road to the 2 new bars that had opened talking about music and where we’d gone to school and random things “I’d suggest going for a drink but one it’s too early and two your not old enough” he said and I smiled. “Fancy going to favourite place?” he asked and I looked at him “Come on” he said walking off and I followed him.
“That’s awesome. So you have fun tonight?” he asked and I nodded “Was it fun onstage?” he asked and I nodded, “So are you from around here?” he asked as he took the guitar and threw it on the couch opposite before sitting back down. “Yeah I live around the corner, you?” I asked, “Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve been back in a year though. I never really get used to being away,” he stated as he picked Nala up.
“It gets easier but you miss people when your away” I replied and he nodded “You travel a lot?” he asked “I’ve been a few places” I admitted. He stood up “Let’s go find the others” he said and I followed him, we walked through the door “Charming” he stated, “They’ve gone out to a bar and left us” he stated and I nodded.
“It’s okay, I guess I should go home anyway” I said and he nodded ”You live nearby so I can walk you” he stated “It’s okay” I replied and he smiled, “No I’ll walk you and then go find Alex and the others, I guess it’s our fault your late anyway and well this part of town was never very…safe” he stated and I smiled.
He opened the door to leave and we walked down the street towards my house and he walked me to the door “Thanks” I stated unsure of exactly what to say and he nodded, he scratched his head “Is Marine down the street and on the next left?” he asked “Yeah” I replied and he smiled.
“Thanks, bye” he said as I opened the door and he walked off, I shut the door behind me and walked into the lounge throwing my cell on the top before hearing a knock at the door. I sighed and walked back to answer it, I opened it to see the tall dark figure of Jack “Did you get lost?” I asked and he scratched at the back of his neck “No but erm, I was wondering seeing as I’ve been away ages and you haven’t, would you fancy going somewhere tomorrow? You know show me around in case things have changed. I don’t want to get lost and well the guys are as useless as me,” he asked looking awkward.
I shrugged ”I guess I can” I admitted and he smiled “You don’t have to if you don’t want” he offered and I shook my head “No it’s okay” I stated and he nodded, “Well I guess I’ll see you 12ish, I’ll come here is that okay?” he asked and I nodded “Okay I guess I’ll see you then” I said and he smiled before turning and walking off.
“Oh Dillon I’ll tell your friend you got home okay” he said turning back to face me and I nodded “Thanks” I said and he smiled before walking off down the street. I walked upstairs to my room checking everything was right before finally allowing myself to go to sleep.
I got up the next day and followed my normal routine and my friends rang to make sure I was okay and I reassured them I was fine. I got ready and there was a knock at the door and I opened it to see the tall dark Jack “Hey” he said smiling and I smiled back “You sure your okay to show me around?” he asked and I nodded as I shut the door.
“Your friend was kind of worried about you last night I think,” he stated and I looked at him confused “Mikey, the guy you were with at the concert” he stated and I nodded remembering “Oh I guess I should’ve text him or something” I said “Well I told him you got home fine but he seemed a bit sceptical” Jack said and I smiled.
“Just being a good friend I guess” he said and I nodded “I only met him last night” I stated and he smiled ”Aww our music is bringing people together, I feel special” he said and I laughed “So what do you do for a living?” he asked and I smiled “Not a lot, it’s complicated” I admitted and he nodded “Sorry” he stated and I smiled “No it’s cool” I said.
“This is a long shot but do you know if DJ’s is still open?” he asked and I nodded “Yeah it is but it’s moved now, want me to show you?” I asked and he nodded smiling and we walked off towards it, I took him to the small shop that you barely noticed unless you were looking for it and we walked in. The shop was darker than most inside and there was the smell of dust in the air that anyone who had visited DJ’s before recognised.
“Well it might have moved but it’s still the same place” Jack stated and I smiled “Did you really think it would change all that much? I mean Arthur hasn’t changed in years,” I said and he started to laugh, “He still wears the same clothes?” Jack asked quietly and I nodded laughing quietly and he started to laugh louder.
“Alex will laugh so hard when I tell him, we always used to come in this place and have bets on whether he’d have that same knitted sweater on, we spent most of our teenage years in this place” he said as he flicked through some old vinyl’s, I heard the familiar sound of Arthur “Still hasn’t got that cough cleared up then” Jack said and I started to laugh.
As the coughing figure of old Arthur appeared at the counter “Can I help?” he said and I turned to face him as Jack looked up “No we’re okay Arthur” I said and he squinted to see across the room without his glasses and then smiled “Dillon, my dear it’s been ages since I saw you how are you?” he asked and I walked over to him leaving Jack.
“I’m good thank you, yourself?” I asked and he nodded ”Good, business is going well surprisingly” he said and I nodded “That’s good, I love your sweater. How’s the wife?” I asked and he smiled ”Thank you my dear and she’s doing well thank you. It’ nice to see you out and about again, we’re so sorry we never came to visit you when you were…” “That’s fine, the flowers and present was more than enough,” I said cutting in.
“Oh it was nothing dear you were after all one of our biggest customers and I missed our chats when you used to come in” he said and I smiled “Well I hope I’m still your biggest customer. I send the girls down often enough,” I said and he nodded ”Yes you do, I think you paid for this new shop” he said and I laughed ”Well you deserve it” I said and he smiled.
“Who’s the boy?” he asked smiling and I smiled back “Jack Barakat Sir” Jack said half making me jump and panicking me over what exactly he’d heard from the previous conversation “Jack Barakat, I’ve heard that name before, you look familiar too” he said and Jack smiled “I used to come in your old shop a bit back when I was a kid, I used to be with another guy” Jack said and Arthur looked at him and then nodded.
“I remember, same height as you, bit longer hair” Arthur said and Jack nodded “Alex yeah that’s him” he replied, “Arthur!” I heard a voice shout and he rolled his eyes “There she goes, I best go see what she wants. It was nice to see you, I hope to see you again soon” he said as he walked off upstairs and we both walked out the shop.
“Has this place changed much?” he asked and I shook my head “Not really, few more bars opened and a few shops closed but nothing major” I admitted and he smiled “New bars?” he asked and I laughed “Want me to show you them?” I asked and he nodded.
We walked down the road to the 2 new bars that had opened talking about music and where we’d gone to school and random things “I’d suggest going for a drink but one it’s too early and two your not old enough” he said and I smiled. “Fancy going to favourite place?” he asked and I looked at him “Come on” he said walking off and I followed him.